Monday, June 13, 2016

Review: Through Waters Deep by Sarah Sundin

Following a childhood trauma, Mary Stirling’s primary goal
in life became a concerted effort to remain as unobtrusive and unnoticed as
possible – for pride in one’s self and accomplishments brings notice, and as
her mother was always quick to remind her, pride comes before a fall. Now a
secretary at the Boston Navy Yard, far from family and the memories
that so rigidly defined her, she excels at her job, but is careful to do all
she can to remain out of the spotlight. With war in Europe leading to an
increasingly tense environment on American shores, rumors of sabotage between
rival isolationist and interventionist political factions swirl around the Navy
Yard. When a bottle of champagne at the latest launch – organized by Mary – is
found to have been refilled with gasoline, the nebulous, rumored dangers at
long last become a frightening reality. The ever-observant, always invisible
Mary is perfectly placed to ferret out talk of sabotage – she goes everywhere
and is remarked by no one. But as the pre-war tensions escalate, Mary’s amateur
sleuthing efforts could bring her the kind of notice she never anticipated –
the notice of a desperate saboteur willing to do anything – or hurt anyone – to
achieve their aim.

Ensign Jim Avery welcomes the renewal Mary’s friendship when
the one-time schoolmates reunite at the Navy Yard where Jim’s brand-new
destroyer, the USS Atwood, is about
to be commissioned. While he never viewed Mary romantically, instead preferring
her best friend, the unattainable golden girl Quintessa, the more time he
spends in Mary’s company the more he comes to appreciate her steadfast nature
and quiet beauty. But just as he begins to realize the depth of his feelings,
his orders send him out to sea and into danger, where a crude sabotage attempt
is discovered. As tensions rise at home and abroad, the need to discover the
saboteur at the Navy Yard increases as Jim and his fellow sailors face increasing
threats from U-boats intent on stopping Lend-Lease convoys. The coming conflict
forces both Mary and Jim to a crossroads, where each must decide whether or not
they have the courage to face their fears and seize their chance at victory in
life and love in the shadow of war.

The period leading up to and covering the second World War
has long been one of my favorite areas of study, and film and fiction set
during this period are guaranteed to pique my interest. As such Sarah Sundin’s novels
have long been on my radar, but due to the ever evolving height of my to be
read pile, I’ve yet to read her work until now. And, full disclosure, I totally
picked this book to start with as I think the cover is stunning – that red dress! Swoon! Here Sundin dives into what has always been in my experience
a relatively untapped market in historical fiction – stories set on the
American homefront. Movies and novels covering this time frame are more often
than not set in the action-heavy locations of the European or Pacific theaters
of conflict. Happily, this first installment in Sundin’s Waves of Freedom
series fills that gap, exploring the social and political tensions that regular
citizens confronted on a daily basis, tensions Mary finds in one of its most
extreme forms as sabotage and accusations fly around the Navy Yard.

Sundin’s characters are a delightful throwback, capturing
the mannerisms and worldview of the time period with an authentic flair. While
the nautical metaphors – such as Jim’s well-meant but ill-advised preference to “float” through
life, thus avoiding accountability for decisions that could harm others, and both
Jim and Mary’s reluctance to “make waves” either professionally or personally – wore thin as the novel progressed, one cannot fail to appreciate Sundin’s characterization, so critical in bringing the setting to vibrant life on the page.
Mary and Jim, as well as their friends and colleagues, speak with the rhythms
of the time period, their dialogue and worldview resonating as though it could
have stepped straight from the pages of a 1940s-era Hollywood script.

I loved Mary’s character, even as I swung between
heart-wrenching empathy regarding her self-confidence struggles and mind-blowing frustration
at her seeming inability to ever stand up for herself. But that very tension is
what made her such a compelling, relatable character, one I loved all the more
for being a woman so wholly of her time. Despite her reluctance to ever step
into the spotlight, I loved her hidden spunk, born of her passion for mysteries
and an appreciation of the iconic – and always confident – sleuth Nancy Drew.
Likewise, Jim is an everyman hero with a laid-back appeal reminiscent of the
likes of a young Jimmy Stewart or Robert Taylor, all boyish charm and earnest
heroism.

The friends-to-lovers trope has rarely been handled better,
as Sundin deftly illustrates Jim and Mary’s respective maturation and
slow-burning, simmering regard for each other slowly transform into the possibility of
something more. It’s a bit rare for me to find swoon-worthy quotes in my much-loved inspy romances, but when Jim returns from his first deployment, eager to
declare his feelings to Mary, and practices his opening gambit – “ever since we
said good-bye, I couldn’t wait to say hello” – I was a GONER. That moment
perfectly encapsulates why I love the romance of classic film and proves that Sundin must be, in that respect at least, a kindred spirit, able in that
one rhythmic, heartfelt declaration to catapult Jim and Mary’s romance high
onto my list of all-time favorites.

As the proud granddaughter of a Navy veteran, I loved the
subject of Sundin’s latest series and couldn’t help but imagine a bit of my
grandfather and grandmother’s wartime experiences alongside those of Jim and
Mary (although to my knowledge they never encountered a saboteur! *wink*). Sundin
spins her tale of life and love on the cusp of wartime with a compelling warmth
and authenticity that speaks to both her affinity for her subject and her
knowledge of the time period. I loved her focus on the homefront, particularly
Mary’s – and her roommates – working woman status, hinting at the professional
opportunities to come for women during the coming conflict.

Through Waters Deep
is a thoroughly entertaining, engaging tale, a deft blend of history, romance,
and a dash of intrigue. Sundin alternates points-of-view between Mary and Jim,
which works for the most part – until one is left with a cliffhanger ending, to
be resolved in the next alternating chapter. But setting aside that narrative
issue, Mary and Jim’s story proved to be the perfect entry point into Sundin’s
work. Her sense of time and place made the history-lover in me sing while her
delicately-rendered romance made me swoon. Through
Waters Deep is a beautiful story of second chances and bravery. I’m
more eager than ever to catch up on Sundin’s backlist!

About the book:

It is 1941 and America teeters on the brink of war. Handsome and outgoing naval officer Ensign Jim Avery escorts British convoys across the North Atlantic in a brand-new destroyer, the USS Atwood. On shore, Jim encounters Mary Stirling, a childhood friend who is now an astute and beautiful Boston Navy Yard secretary.

When evidence of sabotage on the Atwood is discovered, Jim and Mary must work together to uncover the culprit. A bewildering maze of suspects emerges, and Mary is dismayed to find that even someone close to her is under suspicion. With the increasing pressure, Jim and Mary find that many new challenges -- and dangers -- await them.

2 comments:

Sarah, I apologize for the delay in responding to your comment! Honored that you took the time to check out my review. :) Just loved Jim & Mary's story and I look forward to reading your future writing endeavours!